Soviet Strategic Arms Policy before SALT

Christoph Bluth presents an original analysis of the buildup of strategic forces from the death of Stalin to the SALT I agreement. The author outlines Soviet strategic arms policy, identifies the principal interest groups involved, and studies a number of critical decisions taken in relation to strategic bombers, ICBMs, strategic nuclear forces based at sea, ballistic missile defense, and the military uses of space. As well as examining external threat assessment and wider foreign policy, the author pays particular attention to the role of domestic factors such as Khrushchev's endeavors to shift resources away from military industries to agriculture and consumer goods production. Therefore he is able to demonstrate how domestic priorities and internal power struggles account for the seeming inconsistencies of Soviet military and foreign policy.

In this book, Dr Christoph Bluth presents an original analysis of the build up of strategic forces from the death of Stalin to the SALT I agreement. The author outlines Soviet strategic arms policy, he identifies the principal interest groups involved and he studies a number of critical decisions taken in relation to strategic bombers, ICBMs, strategic nuclear forces based at sea, ballistic missile defence and the military uses of space. Strategic arms policy in the Khrushchev period exhibited a number of apparent paradoxes, which the author explains. As well as examining external threat assessment and wider foreign policy, he pays particular attention to the role of domestic factors such as Khrushchev's endeavours to shift resource away from military industries to agriculture and consumer goods production. The author is therefore able to demonstrate how domestic priorities and internal power struggles account for the seeming inconsistencies of Soviet military and foreign policy.

List of abbreviations; List of tables; Acknowledgements; Part I. Soviet Strategic Arms Policy - The General Framework: 1. Introduction; 2. Decision-making in the Soviet Union; 3. Strategic nuclear power and foreign policy objectives; 4. Soviet military doctrine and policy; 5. Party-military relations and strategic arms policy; Part II. Soviet Decision-Making in Strategic Arms Policy: 6. The development of strategic bombers in the Soviet Union; 7. Soviet ICBM deployment: two case studies; 8. Soviet strategic nuclear power at sea; 9. Strategic defence; 10. The military uses of space; 11. Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography.

In this book Dr Christoph Bluth presents an original analysis of the build up of Soviet strategic forces from the death of Stalin to the SALT I agreement. The author is able to demonstrate how domestic priorities and internal power struggles account for the seeming inconsistencies of Soviet military and foreign policy.